What Did You See?
by sapphire-child
Summary: As Claire’s memory begins to come back, she and Charlie begin to piece together the events of their terrifying ordeal with Ethan. Written pre season two and pre Maternity Leave.


Title: What Did You See?  
Summary: "'What did you see Claire?' Charlie asks her again and touches her hand gently. She flinches but doesn't pull away. 'What did you see?'" As Claire's memory begins to come back, she and Charlie begin to piece together the events of their terrifying ordeal with Ethan.  
Spoilers: through season one, from there it was just speculation  
Original post date: 30th September 2005  
Disclaimer: sigh still not mine.

* * *

Claire opened her eyes slowly as her hands went to her swollen belly. 

Something wasn't right.

She felt the baby shift within her, normally a comforting feeling but something just wasn't _right_.

A hand covered her mouth.

She screamed.

There was a flash of something metallic, the sound of ragged breathing in her ear…

_

* * *

At first he doesn't even wake up but when Claire screams out his name, Charlie is up in an instant… _

_… And promptly hits his head on the ceiling of the caves._

_Dazed and disorientated he staggers across the caves to find Claire sobbing, almost hysterical as she calls his name._

_When he reaches out to touch her she lashes out violently._

_Screaming. Screaming._

_He tries again, slower this time, murmuring her name until she allows him to hold her hand._

_The last time she had nightmares like this she'd gone missing within a day and Charlie had ended up hanging from a tree._

_It is not a process Charlie wants to repeat._

_'What did you see Claire?' he asks her firmly. 'What did you see?'_

* * *

Claire stumbled as he pulled her along, crying at the pain of the stitch in her side. His hand was too tight around her delicate wrist, his pace too fast for her pregnant body to keep up with. 

'Stop!' she screamed, tears coursing lines into her face. 'I can't … I can't … please …'

'Move,'

He pulled her forward and she sprawled into the ground, cradling her swollen belly.

'Get up.'

His voice is commanding, his face within inches of her own and Claire knows that if she doesn't stand up …

'Get up.'

'I can't.'

'Remember Claire! Why don't you remember?'

'I can't!'

* * *

_It's the second time this week that Claire has woken up screaming. Charlie sits beside her now as they wait for water to boil for tea._

_Aaron is asleep in his crib within arms reach of Claire who has a blanket as well as Charlie's arm draped about her trembling shoulders._

_Her hands are shaking. When Charlie hands the mug to her it takes a few moments for her to steady them enough to take the first comforting sip without spilling it everywhere._

_'What did you see Claire?' Charlie asks her again and touches her hand gently, steadying her tea. She flinches at his touch but doesn't pull away. 'What did you see?'_

* * *

Claire burst into the clearing, pulling air in great gasps, her leg muscles burning like fire, her wrist like a bruised plum … 

Charlie hung from the tree silently swaying.

Hands limp.

Dangling.

Dead.

Claire began to scream with a wild incoherence, clawing and tearing like a mad thing as Ethan held her back, kept her away from Charlie.

If she could just reach him …

The vines around his neck disappeared and his body crumpled to the ground like paper.

Claire beat upon his chest desperate for him to _breathe Charlie, breathe_ but the hungry ocean closed over him and dragged him out to sea to drown him. Claire cried out as she reached helplessly for his body but the ocean snatched him away from her and Claire found herself alone on the beach with the restless sighing of the waves like whispers of death.

Her tears felt cold as they fell onto her flat stomach. She placed her hands on it and wept as the waves danced in sinuous tendrils about her feet.

'Aaron … Charlie …'

* * *

_'Charlie.'_

_He is already beside her when she wakes up._

_'What did you see Claire?' the words are too familiar. 'What did you see?'_

_'You died.' It isn't a question._

_He barely hesitates but looks away; he can't bear to say it to her face. 'Yes. I died.'_

_Her hand tremulously bridges the gap between them and her fingers gently touch his neck. The scars have faded now but she imagines she can still see them there, dark and angry and she begins to cry softly._

_'You died Charlie,' she mourns. 'You died and I forgot to remember you.'_

_Charlie gazes at her. His eyes soften to grey when he's serious and his eyes have never been greyer since she met him._

_'I'm so sorry Charlie …'_

_'Don't be,' Charlie takes her hand from his neck and holds it between both of his, pressing it to his lips. 'You remember now.'_

_Claire's sobs turn to sighs and she leans against him, her guilt fading with each beat of his heart._

_They fall asleep holding each other._


End file.
